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On The Road - The "Hautes Alpes"

September 6, 2010

View of the Durance Valley.

This past week I took a much anticipated trip down South with my parents. It had been many years since we had taken a trip just the three of us, something I have always loved to do as they love to discover new places and old ruins as much I do. We were to meet my brother and his family in Toulouse but decided to take the long way there via the Alps and Provence. They indulged me in a trip down memory lane.

Saint Crepin. Life is simple here.

Small village - lots of hospitality.

Being as close as we are, I also like this quieter time together to talk about serious things and catch up (I’ll always be their baby after all). French highways and a little trip under the Southern sun were perfect for that. I hope you enjoy the photographs below and maybe discover or re-discover other facets and areas of France.

Everything has a past & a present.

Streets of Guillestre.

Our first stop was the Hautes Alpes where we have had a chalet there for more than 30 years. I grew up spending every summer and winter there from the time I was four until I left for the US. Every major step of my life as a person, child to adult was pretty much spent there (and Provence). This is there where I learned how to bike without training wheels, swim without swimmies, took my first glider ride, learned how to build a fort,...

Cute little restaurant "Dedans Dehors" - Great food.

Our chalet sits at the foot of the little village of Saint Crepin which has changed in so many ways and at the same time remains the same. Everything in that curvy main street is a witness to the changes of time and economics. Being resilient and adaptable is not an attitude here, it’s a necessity.

Small town - lots of character.

Here I would watch my grandfather wait for the rain to stop and get out with his cane in the woods behind the chalet and hunt for snails. Here, we would sleep in the front yard to watch meteor showers and we took many hard turns and falls on our bikes, down the stairs or in the woods. A place for growth. A place for change.

Old barns turned into homes.

The Citadel of Mont-Dauphin.

This is also where Bill met my parents for the first time and assured my dad of his best intentions in spite the challenges or age difference and the distance between us could bring to this new relationship. A special place for sure.

The village inside the Citadel.

There are places I crave. This is one of them. As you can see, mountain villages are as sight to be seen. Colors. Flowers. Wood. Old stones. The green pastures and clear meadows of the Queyras behold such beauty. There are places that just put the world right by you. This is one of mine.

Life in the mountains.

In the village.

We only stayed a couple of days but it was enough to get a fill for all the things I missed. The town of Guillestre with its typical narrow streets and old barns now renovated and turned into homes or restaurants. The Citadel of Mont Dauphin, built under Louis XIV, still intact (never attacked!) with its cobblestone streets, gorgeous blues and artisans (pottery, leather, painters,…).

It was pretty darn perfect to notice my body instinctively repeat moves and turns or my brain to remember missing stones and oddities I only knew as a child. I could have stayed there an entire month but we had more to see and more highways to cover. Next stop was the town of Aix En Provence and the small village of Calas where I grew up but that will be for next time.

I leave you with a snapshot that my dad sneaked of me while in Fontvieille, one of my many favorite places in Provence. I have so many though…stay tuned!

You took such beautiful shots! What's amazing is that you took photos of things that I would never even think to take photos of, yet they turned out to be such beautiful photos to look at. Thanks so much for sharing the beauty there!

Absolutely stunning, both the photography and the subject matter! Your attention to detail, and the big picture, combine to encourage me to dream of far away adventures and quaint bistro lunches... what a simply dreamy world! Thank you for sharing!

Absolutely stunning, both the photography and the subject matter! Your attention to detail, and the big picture, combine to encourage me to dream of far away adventures and quaint bistro lunches... what a simply dreamy world! Thank you for sharing!

The streets are really that empty?Or did you wait for everybody to get in the buildings to take shots?

It's sort of reminds me of all the small towns we have here too, where the youngsters all leave for the city lights and leaving only the older folks in the small towns. And very soon the small towns just becomes.... almost empty of people.. Which is rather sad, but that's reality of life.

Stunning pics of this beautiful part of France although I look at those with mixed feelings since I had an accident when hiking the Mercantour 3 weeks ago.But girl, I defenitely have to return when I see your photo's.

Your photos are spectacular and have done nothing to disprove my perception of the magic of that part of the world. An oldness that has melded with the new but keeps such charm that I wish I were there with you; it's something I know I must experience, something I've craved for many years.

I'm not one to travel to bright lights, big city...I love the charming, slower, more relaxing places where you can really meet people and become immersed in the culture. Thank you for sharing.

My husband and I will be traveling to Provence in early October to celebrate our 1st anniversary. It will be our first time to France and we are both so excited. I can't wait to discover the small, charming towns and inhale the fresh country air.

I have been following your "French Word A Week" and have enjoyed learning more about the language as well as the devine dishes. I can't wait to experience a true taste of France for myself!